Support Shadow's Urgent Medical Care

The Patient:

Shadow is a nine-year-old domestic shorthair. My husband, Ryan, and I adopted him in 2017 so that our other cat could have a companion while we were at work all day. Those of you who have met him know that he’s an incredibly friendly cat who normally has a TON of energy (sometimes to the vexation of his older brother, Felix)! Shadow is a lovable lap-cat that loves cuddles—although maybe not as much as food!

The Symptoms and Struggle to Diagnose:

About two weeks ago Shadow started showing signs that he wasn’t feeling well: not wanting to eat, congested, a bit fatigued… I brought him to our regular vet thinking (hoping) it was just a kitty cold. Both of our cats have had them before and with antibiotics, Shadow if usually fine within a few days. After the vet examined him, he prescribed Clavamox (antibiotic), Gabapentin (a painkiller for possible dental pain due to tartar buildup), and prescription-grade dental food. Our vet sent us home and we followed the treatment plan over the next three days. I was able to give Shadow the medications, much to his displeasure, but he continued to show little interest in food and had little energy to move around.

Ryan brought Shadow back to the vet for his second visit to explain there was no improvement, and the vet took bloodwork but did nothing else at the time. We were sent home again with Shadow still feeling unwell and we felt helpless that there was nothing else we could do at the time. He had zero interest in the special food and was putting up more of a struggle as I forced the medicine in him while he looked at me pitifully. Two more days passed, and the vet finally called with the results of the bloodwork, stating that they believed he had chronic anemia. This was confusing to us because we understand the term “chronic” to mean persistent and long-term, whereas Shadow has never exhibited any sign of this before.

We brought Shadow in together for his third to our vet later that same day and they said they think he has Immune-Mediated Hemolytic Anemia (IMHA)—not “chronic anemia” as they had told us on the phone. The vet then prescribed doxycycline hyclate (another antibiotic) that we had to order special in liquid form. Ryan ordered it immediately and we confirmed with the vet that we would start him on it immediately when it was ready the next day, while keeping him on the Clavamox and Gabapentin.

After only two days on the new medication, we noticed his skin and gums started to turn yellow (jaundice). It was too late to call the vet, so we immediately tried to contact them at the number they texted from previously with updates, but as it was 7pm on a Saturday, we received no response. We knew from a previous experience years ago with Ryan’s family dog that this was an urgent sign of liver issues and required immediate medical attention.

Knowing that our vet would be closed on Sunday, and that it wouldn’t be responsible to wait until Monday, we made the decision to bring Shadow to the local, 24-hour emergency vet. I brought all the paperwork, medication, and test results from our vet over the past week and a half so the emergency vet would have a complete picture of what’s been going on with Shadow. The emergency vet confirmed that it could be IMHA, but it was more likely infectious as IMHA is most commonly found in dogs. They admitted Shadow for a 48-hour hospitalization and took a hefty down payment, but we knew we had done the right thing for Shadow because he likely would not have made it if we had waited until Monday. The emergency vet asked why out vet hadn’t given Shadow prednisone (steroid) as that would have been the necessary medication for a cat suspected of IMHA. He also asked why the vet did not recommend hospitalization for a blood transfusion (necessary since IMHA means the white blood cells are attacking the red blood cells). We had no answers as we had trusted our vet to provide appropriate care. The vet assured us that cats are normally 80% responsive to treatment and he has good chances since we brought him in immediately when we noticed the yellowing. We left Shadow there since there was nothing more we could do at the time, and it was in the emergency vet’s hands now.

The Prognosis:

We followed up with the vet the next day and they said he responded well to the blood transfusion and first dose of prednisone but one of the tests for IMHA (Coombs test) came back negative. After many tests over the next 24-hours, they ruled out anything infectious but were still not convinced it was IMHA due to the negative Coombs test. We have visited Shadow at the emergency hospital every day since he was admitted and he seems like his usual self. Even the vet is surprised by his quick turnaround in energy, appetite, and “cuddly-ness.” (I know, not a word, but how else would you say that??). He climbs on our shoulders to be held, rubs his head on our hands for pets, and rolls over on his back for belly pets—and all while purring SO loud!

Yesterday, an ultrasound showed a tumor in Shadow’s common bile duct. This growth was responsible for a blockage which led to high bilirubin levels and caused the jaundice. It’s not known whether it is malignant or cancerous, and they have no way to know this until after they remove it surgically and perform a biopsy. The emergency vet and surgeon both say he has good chances and is a good candidate for anesthesia, so we signed what we needed to get him better. Another hefty vet bill, but there was no time to think about it because it's crucial to act quickly. Felix has been up all night meowing the last two nights looking for his brother, and it's heartbreaking. All we want is our cat back happy and healthy.

The Ask:

I know a lot of people would probably say that it’s crazy to spend so much money on a pet—that we should have just put him down because it would have been a lot less expensive and after everything, he still may not make it. It’s true that there may still be complications during or after surgery, and a few years ago, I may have even agreed with that. If the vet didn’t believe he had a good chance, or that Shadow would suffer long-term, we would have opted for humane euthanasia. But what you don’t know is that due to medical reasons, we most likely cannot have kids, so our cats are absolutely everything to us. Felix is 15, and of course we know that cats don’t live forever. Shadow is only nine and (normally) still acts like a kitten—rambunctious and high energy—although it sometimes gets him into trouble! We just want to have as much time with them as possible. The initial three vet visits added up to about $1,700. We received $800 from someone who asked to remain anonymous for one of those visits. The 48-hour hospitalization was $9,100—which went on a credit card. The surgery (and associated costs, aftercare, etc.) are $14,000 - $17,000 depending on what is needed. The $14,000 was required as a deposit prior to the surgery, so that went on another credit card. We don’t care about the money. We just want Shadow back, hopefully for another 10+ quality years. But that leaves $24,000 - $27,000 on credit cards that we will be paying off for years. If we get Shadow back healthy, it will all be worth it. If he doesn’t make it, at least we can say we did everything we possibly could have done.

Anything will help, even it it’s just $20. Please donate what you can and/or share this fundraiser with anyone else who may be able to help. Thank you.